Worth the Drive (32 page)

He whispered but Katie couldn’t tell if it was in English or Spanish because his mouth was
already back on
hers.

The kiss was so heady Katie almost forgot that
Darío
was buried deep inside her. Almost.

Then he began to move and it was sensory overload. She tried to pull her mouth from his, to take in
a
badly needed breath, but instead of an inhale, she exhaled loudly as she came apart, her climax hitting her hard and fast.

Darío
said something Katie didn’t even try to hear, and his rhythm picked up speed. She was spiraling down when he put his hand between them and stroked her, taking her back up, taking her to him.

They exploded together. He nipped at her neck, she clawed at his back. Hips raised, arms clenched. Their bodies ground together, getting everything. Taking everything.

It wasn’t beautiful lovemaking. It wasn’t graceful.

It was exactly what they both needed.

Chapter
Seventeen

The longer you play, the better chance the better player has of winning.

- Jack Nicklaus
, professional golfer

“Katie, luv, c’mere. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Katie went over to Binky, sitting at the edge of the caddyshack. It wasn’t a shack, of course – nothing was a shack at the courses the Tour played. It was a lovely, small building where the caddies went to eat, rest, play cards, do whatever, until their players met them for practice or tee times.

But all the caddies, and players, called such buildings caddyshacks. Caddies weren’t allowed in the clubhouses, a rule Katie found abhorrent when she’d found out, but Binky didn’t seem to mind. He’d said he’d rather hang out with the caddies than the hoity-toity in the clubhouse anyway. He didn’t clarify that
Darío
was nowhere near hoity-toity, they both knew that.

Katie made her way to the gate of the enclosed area. There was an overhang area outside where a few of the caddies were smoking, but most of the caddies were in the shack where it was air conditioned, gathered around a television. They were all waiting to hear if the rain delay they were in the middle of was going to be upgraded to an actual postponement.

Darío
was in the lockerroom. He had offered to come sit in the clubhouse with Katie, but she didn’t want him to break his concentration in case they got the call to get back on the course. Besides, it had slowed to a drizzle, so Katie made her way outside just to walk around, get some fresh air. She’d made her way to the caddyshack to see what Binky was up to.

Darío
had introduced her to some of the player’s wives, but most of them were busy with children or their husbands or whatever and didn’t seem very interested in Katie. They probably saw
her as just another groupie who
was staying around longer than most. That was fine. She really had never made friends easily. Had never really had to because of having Lizzie and Alison.

It was a skill she hadn’t acquired. It had never bothered her until now.

Binky moved aside and Katie saw that he meant to introduce her to a woman. A woman who Katie’d watched a lot in the past four weeks. A woman she’d come to admire from afar. If more for her shear endurance than anything else.

“Katie Maki, this is Franny Kowalski. Franny, Katie.”

Katie shook Franny’s strong hand. It was firm and her fingers were calloused. Probably from tossing endless golf balls to Rick
Donaldson
during
the hours and hours they spent on the range.

“Nice to meet you, Franny, I’ve watched you on the range,” Katie said.

Franny seemed taken aback at that, as if the thought that she’d stick out – a woman wit
h incredibly long, curly, blond
hair amongst a range filled with men –  had never occurred to her.

Before Franny could respond, a caddy popped his head out the door and loudly declared, “Postponed. First round finishes up at 6 tomorrow.” There were groans all around from the caddies whose players had yet to finish, meaning they’d be back at sunrise tomorrow and have to play the rest of the first round as well as the second.

Instantly, the caddies’ cell phones an
d two-ways started going off. T
heir players calling
from the clubhouse to tell them what time they’d tee off and what time they wanted their caddy on the range with their clubs.

Franny looked apologetically at Katie as she took her ringing cell phone from her belt. She turned away from them, taking the call. Katie watched her head bob up and down in agreement with whatever the caller was saying.

Just as Franny was signing off, Katie felt a warm hand on her neck. The touch was gentle, but firm. And familiar, she’d felt it plenty in the last few days.

Darío
came along side of her, facing Binky and nodded to him “You heard?”

Binky nodded. “Yep. You want your clubs in the car or should I store them here?”

Darío
thought on that for a moment. Sometimes he took his clubs with them back to the hotel and Katie
had
imagined him
practicing his
putting across the hotel floor as she sat in her room alone.

But not anymore. Now they shared a room, a bed. They were lovers. The last three days since they’d arrived in Akron had more than proven that. They’d left the room only when
Darío
needed to be at the course and to eat. And as if they’d needed actually physical proof
of them becoming lovers
, much to her dismay,
Darío
even had a few little bruises and scratches that he laughed away.

Katie knew what
Darío
’s answer would be before he spoke. “Leave them here. I
won’t
use them tonight.”

Katie ducked her head.
Darío
give a soft squeeze to her neck and watched as Binky’s eyes passed between the two of them, figuring out the lay of the land.

“Ah, I see. ‘Bout time, I’d say.”

Katie met
Darío
’s knowing eyes and flushed. She thought she heard
Darío
mumble “
Sî
,” but she wasn’t sure.

“So, you’ll be wanting to skip our Thursday dinner then, Guv?”

Katie spoke up. “Don’t skip that on my account. Don’t change your routine now, you’re playing so well.”

Darío
looked torn and Katie took secret pleasure in that, but she really didn’t want to mess with his and Binky’s rituals.

“Then you should come with us,” he said to her. Franny had rejoined their group by then, cell phone back on her belt loop. “And you, Franny, please join us as well.”

Franny looked at the three of them, the invitation obviously a surprise. But the thought of another woman at dinner while
Darío
and Binky talked course management was appealing to Katie. “Yes, please join us,” Katie added.

“Sure, that’d be great. Rick wanted to practice another couple of hours but the officials won’t let anybody on the range with the high chance of lightning.” As if on cue, a thunderclap roared in the distance.

“And that stopped Prick?” Binky asked using Rick
Donaldson
’s nickname on
t
our.

Franny shrugged. “He tried to argue them out of it, but no go. So, I’m free as a bird till 5 tomorrow morning.”

They had dinner at a steakhouse. One of those chain places that all ended up tasting the same to
Darío
. He couldn’t wait for a break in his schedule so he could sleep without hearing people walking the hallways of the hotels. To eat something not ordered off a menu.

He and Binky managed to wrap up their course talk quickly and he turned to the women just
in time to hear Katie say to Franny, “You know, there’s a cameraman – cameraperson I guess – for CBS that looks just like you. I’ve seen her on the course.”

“That’s my sister, Zooey.”

“Franny and Zooey?” Katie said, raising her eyebrow.
Darío
had done the same thing when he’d met the twosome years ago.

Franny shrugged. “What can I say? My mom is a literature prof. A huge Salinger fan.”

“Well it could be worse. You could have been named after a Stephen King character.”

Franny chuckled. “Katie, where
are you from originally? Your
accent sounds so familiar.”

Katie laughed, her smile lighting up her face. “I didn’t realize I had an accent. Guess you never really lose your Yooper drawl.”

Franny nodded her head. “A Yooper! I thought so.”

Katie looked surprised. “You’ve heard of Yoopers?”

“You betcha,” Franny said. “I’m a Cheesehead.”

“You are?” Katie said, like she’d found a long lost friend. “What part of Wisconsin?”

“LaCrosse.”

“Oh, that’s a ways away from da Yoop. You’re practically in Minnesota.”

Franny nodded. “Yeah, but we spent our summers in
the U.P.
at my grandmother’s.
Just outside of Baraga.
”

“
We were practically neighbors.
I’m from Hancock,” Katie added with great enthusiasm
.

Darío
listened with half an ear as the two women compared places in the Copper Country, families they might both kn
o
w, places to eat. She spoke with such longing in her voice that
Darío
wondered for the first time if she regretted her decision to come with him.

She seemed happy. She appeared to love traveling. She found out things about the places they went that
Darío
, who had been to these same stops for many years, had never known. She’d drug him to an aquarium in Chicago and a Tiger’s game in Detroit when he played in Flint. It was good for him to be taken away from the
everyday
grind of
golf course, restaurant and the hotel
.

He wondered if they’d still be taking these little excursions now that they had found the ultimate diversion.

“So, how did a Yooper hook up with a Spanish
p
ro golfer?” he heard Franny ask. He turned his full attention back to the women, waiting to hear Katie’s answer. They hadn’t told anyone their story yet. Hadn’t had to. They’d kept mainly to themselves. He’d introduced her to many people at the courses, in the clubhouses, but they must have just assumed that…
Darío
didn’t know what they’d assumed.

“I…I…” Katie looked to
Darío
for help, obviously not used to Franny’s bluntness.
Darío
had known the caddy for years, she could be quite jolting if you didn’t know her.

“Katie and I met on a Tour stop and have been together ever since.” He took a deep breath, then ad
ded, “We’re
going to have a baby.”

He couldn’t believe he’d said it. Out loud. To someone other than Binky or Katie.

It felt good.

He looked to Katie for her reaction. Braced himself for her shock or anger at
his
blurting out something so personal to someone she’d just met.

Instead he saw a tenderness in her huge blue eyes that stopped him. She reached over for his hand, took it and squeezed. She turned her head back
to Franny and nodded, her blond
hair, still in its ponytail from the course, bobbing in agreement.

Franny seemed stunned. Looked at Katie,
Darío
, then to Binky – as if he’d had something to do with it. Binky, to
Darío
’s amusement, sat back and nodded his head as he folded his arms across his chest, almost like he was the proud mastermind of the blessed event.

“Wow! A baby. That’s so…so..,” Franny stumbled.

“Wonderful,” Katie whispered.

Franny picked up her cue. “Of course wonderful. That’s fantastic. When are you due?”

“Early January.”

“A New Year’s baby.”

“Maybe.”

“You look great, not even showing.”

“No. Not yet,” Katie said.
Darío
swore he heard disappointment in her voice. Her hand went to her stomach.
He
could now attest that her stomach had just the slightest of curves to it. But one you could only see when she was naked.

“How are you feeling?”

Katie’s face lit up even more, the glow around her almost giving off sparks. “Great. Super. Walking the courses has been great, all the fresh air. My feet get a little puffy on the flights, but it’s been really great.”

“No morning sickness at all?” Franny asked.